


Realization At Long Last

by ebonysblues



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Awesome Natasha Romanov, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Best Friends, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, High School, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Oblivious Bucky Barnes, Romance, Spiderman reference, Star Wars References, Teen Romance, Teenagers, bucky reads comic books, until he isn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2800013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebonysblues/pseuds/ebonysblues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky finally realizes he's in love with Steve.</p><p>Or the four times Bucky should have told Steve he loved him and the one time he actually does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Realization At Long Last

**Author's Note:**

> Hurrah for Stucky!

Bucky realizes something as he walks to his first period; he is completely head over heels in love with his best friend. 

 

 ...

 

He should have realized it last night when Steve snuck into his room at two in the morning to tell him he had a new idea on how to save the world.

Steve looked so excited when he was telling Bucky about it. Bucky even remembers noticing how beautiful Steve looked with his flushed cheeks and his windswept hair. Yet, he didn't realize he was in love with the other young man.

 

 ...

 

Bucky definitely should have realized it the day before yesterday. The day Stevie came up to him at his locker with a present in his hands. 

"Hey! What do you have there?" Bucky had exclaimed. 

Steve had only smiled and replied, "You'll have to open it to find out." 

Bucky grinned as he took the present into his hands and ripped off the wrapping of it to find something that could only be described as 'beautiful'. 

It was a 6 by 8 canvas oil painting of Bucky's favorite comic book character. Spiderman. 

Bucky's eyes had lit up so bright that they brought New York to shame at the sight of painting. 

Thoughts of love had come to Bucky at that moment only he mistook it as being for the gift and not the teen. So instead of, "I love you, Steve," it was, "I love it, Steve!" Still, Bucky should have realized how much the present, and more specifically Steve, meant to him but he didn't.

 

 ...

 

If ever a day the dark haired teen should have realized it, it would have been Saturday of last week. 

Bucky was holed up in his room re-reading his collection of comic books. He was so intent on finishing an issue he didn't notice Steve had come into his room. 

"Hey Bucky!" The blue eyed teen had said over his friend's shoulder. Bucky jumped practically out of his skin.

"Stevie! You scared the living crap out of me!" Bucky yelled, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips drawn into a tight line. His expression softened, though, as his heart rate went back to his normal pace. Bucky let out a breathy laugh to show it was alright and that he was okay.

Steve gave Bucky a weak smile and apologetically said,"Sorry Bucky. I didn't know you were so jumpy."

"It's fine." Bucky replied, his lips turned up into a smile. "And I'm not usually. Only when I'm around you apparently." 

Steve gives Bucky a shy smile in response. "Only me, huh?" He asks sitting down next to his friend. 

Bucky looks down at the issue in his hands and nods. "Yeah, only you." He doesn't realize how true his words are until a week later. 

 

...

 

He certainly should have realized it a month ago. It was lunchtime and Bucky was sitting at his and Steve's usual table in the cafeteria. He was waiting the normal 5 minutes for Steve to come. Bucky's always the first to arrive at the table.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught the unusual glint of red hair walking in his direction.  _Natasha._  

Bucky smiled politely at her as she walked up to the table and sat down. He was confused as to why she was sitting with him when she usually hung out with Clint and Bruce. He knew, though, that she would get straight to the point, she was the kind to do that. 

"What's going on between you and Steve?" She asked, not even saying hello. And there it was- the point. 

"Um what?" Bucky asked.

Natasha rolled her eyes and pushed her bangs behind her ear. "What's going on between you and Steve?" She repeated. 

"What do you mean?" 

She sighed, impatience evident on her face. " I mean that you and Steve seem to have a very close relationship." Natasha said slowly.

"Well, yeah. We're best friends." Bucky responded.

She blinked, the look on her face said that she was done with Bucky's oblivious demeanor. "Okay... but it seems to me that you two are more than best friends." 

Bucky continued to look confused and oblivious, even five seconds after she had spoken. "Um... what?" He asks, once again. 

Natasha opened her mouth to speak but closed it as Steve came up to the table and sat down. "Hey Bucky. Hey Natasha. What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing! As a matter of fact, I was just leaving. I'll see you both later." She said hurriedly. She got up and walked like a goddess back over to Clint and Bruce. 

"What was that about?" Steve asked, looking at Bucky.

Bucky shook his head and replied, "I have no clue." 

Steve laughed and decided to change the subject. "How was your Algebra 2 class with Mr. Fury?" 

And just like that, Bucky forgot all about his and Natasha's discussion. At least, not until a month later as school was about to start. 

 

 ...

 

 Bucky realizes something as he walks to his first period. He is completely head over heels in love with his best friend. 

He has no idea how he hadn't realized it sooner. There were many occasions where he could have figured it out. Yet, he didn't. He's not sure why the realization hits him then and there, but he is sure that it's about time.

Upon his realization, Bucky stops in his tracks and turns on his heels. He runs through the halls, searching for the boy who holds his heart's locker. He knows Steve will be there, putting his books into his bag. 

Bucky sees Steve right where he knew he would be. He slows his pace as he walks up to the blond, trying to not appear as disheveled. 

The dark haired teen stops next to Steve at his locker. "I came to a conclusion." Bucky says, a bit out of breath. 

Steve places his A.P. U.S. History book in his backpack, looks at Bucky and asks, "Now, what would that be?" The blond turns away to reach into his locker. 

"I love you," the words come out calmly, not giving in to the fact that Bucky is ecstatic that he can say these words and really truly mean them. 

"I know," Steve responds, adding a binder and a notebook into his backpack. 

"No, like I  _really_  love you."  Bucky tells him, thinking Steve might just think that he means it in a friends and family type of way. 

"I know," the blue eyed teen says adamantly, shattering Bucky's theory. 

"You know?" 

"Yes." This word roams around Bucky's mind for quite a while before it is able to latch onto something.  He's incredibly shocked,  confused with Steve's reaction for it was unexpected.  It seems illogical to Bucky that his best friend could have known about this. More specifically, why he wouldn't say anything to him about it? 

"If you knew, why didn't you say anything?" Bucky asks, watching Steve zip up his backpack. 

"I wanted you to figure it out on your own," Steve replies, slinging his backpack on. He slams his locker door shut, turns to walk away but stops. 

He looks Bucky in the eyes, smiles and says," By the way, I love you too." 

Steve leans in closer to Bucky and softly presses their lips together. They feel each others warmth and passion for those short few seconds until ultimately,  Steve pulls away and heads to his first period.

He leaves Bucky paralyzed and speechless in the hallway. It's not until the late bell finally rings that Steve's words finally register.

"He loves me." Bucky whispers to himself. He makes his way over to the office to get a late pass, all the while tracing his fingers over his lips, savoring the way it felt to have Steve's lips on his.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated! 
> 
> Also, did you notice the Star Wars reference?


End file.
